GoTranscript Review - How Good Is It in 2022?

What Is GoTranscript?

GoTranscript is a leading transcription service based in the UK that has been providing comprehensive transcription services since 2005. It differs from other vendors as it doesn’t use its proprietary GoTranscript software to transcribe your audio and video files. Any software analysis is just the starting point before professional transcribers proofread and correct the result to deliver a guaranteed 99% accuracy.

As of 2022, it supports nearly 50 languages, making it one of the most well-rounded solutions we’ve reviewed. 

You can upload almost any common video or audio file, pay online using PayPal or card, and the finished transcripts will be quickly turned around and delivered via email.

The company boasts over 1.4 million minutes of successful transcriptions and more than 20,000 professionals ready to take your order. 

Services and Performance

So, what is GoTranscript capable of, and how does it perform with different transcription tasks? 

Check out our reviews of all GoTrabscript services and features, so you know what to expect.

Audio Transcription

If you have an audio file you wish transcribed, GoTranscript can get the job done quickly and efficiently. It doesn’t matter what type of audio it is; it handles everything from podcasts and interviews to lectures and seminars. 

Note that while you can get transcriptions of poor-quality files, it’ll cost an extra $0.20 per minute. This applies to audio with lots of speakers talking over each other, heavy accents, background noise, etc.

GoTranscript touts its audio transcriptions for industries such as:

• Academia
• Press and Media
• Marketing
• Legal
• Medical
• Religious organizations

And many more.

You can upload audio files directly to the system or link them via cloud storage providers like Dropbox, Google Drive, and YouTube.

Video Transcription

Transcription services reviews rate GoTranscript’s video performance highly. 

Search engines cannot index video footage; thus, an online transcription of your content will be very beneficial to SEO.

To ensure accuracy, your content is split into sections and transcribed by more than one professional. Proofreading and quality assurance is carried out in multiple steps, including a final check to maintain 99% accuracy.

GoTranscript supports video files up to 1GB, or you can link to an external site like YouTube without worrying about the size. Permitted formats include:

• WMV
• AVI
• FLV
• MPEG
• MP4
• MOV

And many others.

One downside is there is no in-built GoTranscript converter, so you’ll have to convert your own video if it doesn’t already meet one of the supported file types. 

Timestamping and Speaker Tracking

To make your transcription more accessible, you can opt for regular timestamping, speaker tracking, or both. The former entails having a timestamp every two minutes to help break up the text. Speaker tracking, on the other hand, means the text is highlighted whenever the speaker changes.

Translation

Since GoTranscript has transcriptionists from all over the world, it’s also an excellent translation service. Not all supported languages are available for translations, but it’s still an impressive list. All available languages can be translated between each other.

Some of them include:

• English
• German
• Spanish
• Chinese
• French
• Russian
• Japanese

If your desired language isn’t listed, it may still be available for transcription. 

Foreign Subtitles

You can also get subtitles for your foreign viewers. The original language of a video is translated by experts into a language of your choice. 

GoTranscript only works with videos in English but supports translations to over 40 languages. 

Subtitle Conversion

A nice addition to the subtitle service is the free GoTranscript subtitle converter. If you already have subtitles in a common format like SRT, STL, or VTT, you can upload the file and choose a different format from 15 options, including YouTube’s SBV.

Captions

You can also hire a professional caption editor. You get a full transcript along with your captions.

Closed captions are slightly different from subtitles because they provide viewers who are hard of hearing with extra context. For example, song genres, ambiance, or important noises that don’t contain dialogue. 

Speed and Turnaround Time

There’s no guaranteed speed for any particular service. It all depends on your order’s size, audio quality, and extras like translations. However, GoTranscript is generally considered a very fast service.

You’ll also get a completion date before committing to payment, so you’ll know exactly when you’ll receive the finished product. 

The company offers partial refunds in case the date is missed.

Human-only Transcribers

Unlike other services that charge for using automated tools, GoTranscript relies primarily on professional transcriptionists. Software may be used, but the finished results are fully edited by people.

This results in some of the highest accuracy and consistency on the market. 

Security

Your cloud-based account and anything you upload are secured by 2048-bit SSL encryption. Moreover, any staff that accesses your content must sign a non-disclosure agreement. This provides legal protection and the assurance that your private audio or video files won’t be leaked.

Mobile App

If you’re on the go, you can upload your files via the GoTranscript app for iOS and Android. It also lets you easily share links to files stored elsewhere. Alternatively, the mobile optimized site is just as functional in your mobile browser as it is on desktop.

iPhone Tool

There’s also a GoTranscript tool for iOS that lets you easily share iPhone Voice Memos and order a professional transcription. Once you install the app, simply select GoTranscript from the share list under the desired memo. 

Free US to British English Tool

Many of us have experienced the annoyance of switching between US and traditional English spellings. Fortunately, there’s a free GoTranscript transcription tool that lets you paste in your text and automatically convert those troublesome spellings.

For paid services, GoTranscript spelling adheres to whatever language you’ve chosen.

Enterprise Services

If you’re a large enterprise with a lot of volume or unique requirements, GoTranscript is happy to accommodate. It operates within a B2B environment and can provide a tailored ordering process, plus monthly invoicing for multiple accounts. You can even place your orders directly from Google Drive or Dropbox. 

The company also ensures transcribers sign NDAs, so any sensitive business information is kept secure and confidential. 

Previous enterprise customers include the British Broadcast Corporation, Netflix, Samsung, and The New York Times.

API

If you have web developers on your team and wish to integrate GoTranscript within your stack, you can sign up for API access for free.

Ease of Use and Interface

GoTranscript couldn’t be easier to use. All you have to do is choose the service you desire from the dashboard, upload your file or paste an URL, and wait for the price. If you find it acceptable, you can easily make a payment, and the results will be delivered via email.

You can log into your account at any time to check the progress, shown as a percentage, and also access finished projects.

The GoTranscript app is very straightforward too. The iOS version lets you record notes straight into the app before uploading them, and you can browse, playback, and share your recordings with a few taps.

Support

User-written GoTranscript reviews rate its customer support highly, and we had the same positive experience. You can contact the team at any time using an email form. Even better, its live web chat is available 24/7, and you’ll only be waiting a few minutes for a response. 

If you wish to talk to somebody directly, you can call +1 (831) 222-8398.

You can also solve non-urgent queries with a bit of reading from the FAQ page on the site. This covers all features and services and has an excellent “Getting Started” guide if you’re new to transcription services.

GoTranscript Pricing

Pricing is based on volume and estimated turnaround time. You’re charged on a per minute or word basis, corresponding with the length of your file and chosen service. The GoTranscript free trial entitles all new users to $10 worth of free services. 

PayPal and all major cards are supported. There’s no money-back guarantee, and if you cancel an order, you’re only refunded the percentage of work yet to be completed.  

Captions

Captions follow the same pricing as transcriptions but include an extra fee for the captioning. Below are the captioning fees:

GoTranscript Review – Verdict

The service is perfect for those that want professional transcriptions without any margin of error. Speed, accuracy, and affordability are second to none. 

The only thing to nitpick is that because it isn’t based on public-facing automated software, users obviously don’t have access to a tool they can use themselves. Likewise, there’s no editor to modify transcriptions, though this isn’t a necessity since accuracy is almost always perfect. 

Overall, we think that GoTranscript is among the best transcription services on the market.